Figure 1: Jeannette McElroy working on the lathe.
Figure 2: One measuring spoon completed and three to go.
If you stop by the Quail Room in the Creative Arts Center it is normal to see Woodcarving Club members at the tables using an assortment of cutting tools to create interesting carvings. If you go farther into the room and look behind the cabinets near the front of the room you will see an assortment of power tools used to prepare wood for these projects. In 2018 a small wood lathe was added to these tools and club members started learning how to use the lathe.
A wood lathe can be used for wood and acrylic projects, for other “harder” materials something similar to this reliable metal lathe will have to be used to make sure the components don’t break or buckle during rotations. The material is mounted in the lathe and it rotates while the operator carves the rotating piece with a chisel held against a tool rest. It takes very little time and effort to create a beautiful project and is a lot of fun.
As an example of what can be produced on a lathe, figure 1 shows Jeannette McElroy turning the first handle for the measuring spoon set shown in figure 2. Jeannette purchased the kit and selected the wood handles. Mostly the lathe has been used to create writing pens from wood or acrylic and some wood handled kitchen accessories. As club members learn the lathe many more projects will be created.
The Woodcarvers Club meets in the Quail Room in the Creative Arts building on the Tuscany side of PebbleCreek. The club has general meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. from October to April. Club membership is available to all official PebbleCreek residents. Beginners classes sign up must be completed by October 1 or January 1 for beginner classes held during October or January. Beginner classes are one day long. These classes are focused on tool safety and how to complete a simple project. Regular carving classes are held from October through April. The carving room is available for club members daily throughout the year, except for Thursday mornings when another club uses the room.